


Happy Birthday, Max.

by ArgentMartin



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Maximum Victory - Freeform, SOFT GAYS, chasefield, victoria is a gay asshole and i adore her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 13:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7270183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentMartin/pseuds/ArgentMartin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Max's Birthday, and everyone seems to know what to get for her - except for Victoria.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday, Max.

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in a Love Is Strange-esque AU, Rachel's alive and Max doesn't have freaky time powers. No character deaths. Everyone is happy and gay here.
> 
> This was a one-shot I posted on Tumblr a couple of weeks ago for a friend's birthday, and I figured that it might be a laugh to go back to posting my fan fictions after years of inactivity.

Despite having all the money in the world, Victoria Chase was really, really bad at buying things for other people.

_Especially_ people she actually liked.

Which is why, on a blustery September Saturday afternoon, she ended up in Arcadia Bay’s high-end shopping center with Rachel Amber. As much as she hated her, she couldn’t deny that Rachel knew how to shop for dinky things better than she did; and she was sure Max wasn’t the kind of person who would be interested in cutting-edge fashion trends.

“What are you doing?” Victoria heard Rachel’s voice calling, as she browsed a shelf full of albums, half of which she’d never heard of before.

“What?”

“I _mean_ , are you really considering getting Max any of _these_?”

Victoria glanced down at the Syd Matters album she’d just picked up, turning it over absentmindedly in her hand. She looked back up at Rachel’s amused smirk, and narrowed her eyes.

“What’s wrong with it?”

Rachel sighed, and Victoria could sense a tone of pity that she really didn’t like. “You do realize that Max probably has every Syd Matters album on her iPod Touch, right?”

“ _Excuse me_ if I’m not really into the kind of hipster trash Caulfield has on her outdated technology,” Victoria sniffed. But she put the album down anyway, and continued to browse.

Nothing. There was nothing here that Victoria liked, nothing that she was sure Max would like. Who thought getting something for someone like Max would be so hard?

Victoria gritted her teeth. If this were Nathan, or anyone from the Vortex Club, she wouldn’t have had nearly as much of an issue. She’d just make a quick stop in John Hardy, or – her nose scrunched at the name of the place – Victoria’s Secret.

But Max, the only girl she’d ever met with the same taste in music and fashion sense as her 70-year-old grandfather, was difficult.

It was infuriating.

It didn’t help that Rachel was being unhelpful, at best. Everything Victoria had picked up or even glanced at, Rachel would just smirk, or shake her head, or give her that stupid, knowing sigh. After weaving in and out of several shops, Victoria stopped to get coffee at a small café, black, to calm her nerves.

“I haven’t seen you this worked up since last year’s Everyday Heroes contest,” Rachel noted, as they sat outside at a table overlooking a blossoming garden.

It was only then that Victoria looked down at her coffee cup, which was shaking against its coaster. She relaxed her tense shoulders, let out a breath through her nose, and placed the cup down, staring into the dark depths of the warm afternoon brew.

“It’s stress,” Victoria finally replied. “I don’t usually waste my time shopping for hipsters.”

“Or,” Rachel put in, and Victoria could physically feel herself tense again at the matter-of-fact punch to the word, “you’re really just concerned Max won’t like what you get her.”

Victoria wished that it were warmer outside, so she could blame the flush on her face on the heat. She lifted her coffee cup to her lips again, taking a long drink as she thought of a witty rebuttal. None came for a long few seconds.

“It’s her birthday. Forgive me if I don’t want to get her something fucking awful. I still have a reputation to uphold, and if I don’t have the best thing I can get her, then what’s the point? I’m only bringing myself to care about her for a couple more days, and then she can go and-“

“Fuck her selfie?” Rachel questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Or would you rather take care of that yourself?”

Victoria’s face went stony and emotionless, and Rachel burst out laughing.

This was going to be a long day.

Victoria still wasn’t sure she was satisfied with what she got Max. After a few more hours of debating with Rachel, in which time she was very surprised in herself that she hadn’t killed her, she settled on a Pop! figurine set of Wall-E and Eve, and the entirety of Ouran High School Host Club on DVD. She hoped to the Lord that Max wouldn’t judge her too much for the second, even though they were the two things Rachel hadn’t said no to.

…Still. She couldn’t help but be worried.

-

They were planning a surprise party for Max in the girl’s dorm. Somehow, by Sunday afternoon, Rachel had everyone on their floor involved. They were busy putting up decorations while Chloe took Max out for an early breakfast (Victoria couldn’t help but glare at their backs as they left campus, and nearly clocked Rachel for singing Mr. Brightside at her as she walked away). Rachel carelessly pushed things off Max’s desk to make room for pizza and cake, and Victoria poked her head out of her dorm for just a second to watch the chaos, before going back to sleep. Her part would come later.

For now, she needed beauty sleep.

An hour or so later, she was woken up by Taylor and felt an immediate sense of satisfaction when one glare sent her away. She spent a good half an hour in front of the mirror, fixing her hair, making sure the signs of tiredness were gone, and giving herself a pep-talk.

_She’s going to love it. You’re Victoria fucking Chase. She’d be stupid not to love it. And if she doesn’t, well…gift receipts exist for a reason._

Victoria sincerely hoped she’d have no use for them.

Chloe brought Max back late. It figures – that girl was never on time for anything. The girls were all hidden in corners or their own dorms as Max walked towards her own, and she stopped in the middle of the doorway, momentarily struck dumb as she took in the decorations, presents, pizza and cake.

“Wait…what?”

“Surprise!”

People came barreling into the hallways, clapping Max on the back, giving Happy Birthday wishes, and shoving presents at her. Victoria leaned against the wall to watch in amusement as Max was pushed into her room to celebrate. It seemed to go on for hours, until Max finally had enough, and Chloe brushed everyone off. The only one that hung around was Victoria, and she took this as her cue.

“Max?”

Max was saying her final goodbyes to Stella, and she turned around to look at her. Victoria stared her down, then rolled her eyes.

“Stop giving me that look.”

“Uh, what look is that?”

Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose. Did she really want Max knowing how much she paid attention?

“That stupid, dopey look you get when you don’t understand something. When you don’t get a question in Science class or whatever. Right down to that stupid insecure little head-tilt. Stop doing that. It’s annoying.”

“Oh.” She didn’t like the look Max was giving her. It was borderline smug, almost triumphant. Victoria tried to act annoyed, but the ruffle in her brow was somewhat-ruined by the twitch of a smile on her face.

“I got you something.”

“What?”

Victoria shot Max a withering look. “Do I have to explain everything to you?”

“No, you don’t,” Max replied, and Victoria noticed that Max’s stance was different than usual. Normally during their conversations, they would be squaring up, standing their ground. But the look Max was giving her was curious, relaxed. Even as she crossed her arms and tilted her head (again with that fucking tilt), there was none of that usual hostility. “But I didn’t really expect you to get me anything. It’s a nice gesture.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes. “I’m not the worst person ever, Max. I just- can I come in?”

She gestured towards Max’s open door, revealing a room that was messy beyond compare from the party from earlier. For a moment, Victoria was almost convinced that Max was going to say no, but she jerked her head to the side to allow her in as she walked in herself, sitting on the edge of her bed.

Victoria hesitated for a split second before joining her, their knees knocking together. Max’s bed was a different kind of comfortable than her own – a bit more…homey. There was a long, stretching silence, before Max broke the tension.

“So, are you gonna let me know what you got for me, or is it like an Easter basket that I need to go and track down myself?”

Cheeky little shit.

“Be grateful I even got you anything, Caulfield,” Victoria snapped back at Max’s smirking face. She looked down at the wrapped gifts in her lap, and thrust them at Max without further ado.

She watched, shoulders tense, as Max opened her gifts. She was examining the figures and the DVDs with a look that was hard to read, but she didn’t have to wonder for long, because Max’s slender arms were throwing themselves around Victoria’s shoulders in a tight, grateful hug.

_Oh, shit._

Victoria was suddenly very hyper-aware of Max’s smaller body pressed against her own. Her warm arms around her cool neck, her soft cheek against her shoulder. The smile against her cashmere. It made all of Victoria’s tension melt away, and she raised her arms to return the embrace, fingers coming up to rake through Max’s scruffy hair.

It seemed like ages when they finally pulled away, faces both flushed with embarrassment. Victoria didn’t even feel the panicky urge to hide herself as her face steadily turned even more red – she knew she could be open with Max, even if the idea was still…new. In a good way.

“Wanna stay over and watch this with me?” Max questioned, shaking the small box of DVDs in her hand. Victoria scoffed.

“In this mess?” she asked, eyes scanning the floor caked with crepe paper, streamers and glittery confetti. Max glanced around as well – apparently she’d been too distracted to worry about the mess.

“Hey, that isn’t my fault! I’m still the one who has to clean this crap up later.”

Victoria waved a hand. “We can worry about that in the morning. Come over to my place.”

There was a pause, in which both of them were slowly realizing that this was an invitation to stay for the night. Victoria was relieved that her face was staying its normal temperature, but she couldn’t say the same for Max – her face was turning a deep, ugly, yet adorable shade of puce.

“You…want me to stay over? Really?”

The hopeful expression on Max’s face was making Victoria really uncomfortable.

“Just get your stuff ready before I change my mind.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were settling in Victoria’s dorm, as Victoria gave Max the honors of queueing up Ouran on her plasma TV. Victoria didn’t like how it made her nervous, as she demanded Max bring her blanket over to the couch so they could get comfortable. She didn’t necessarily like how Max, of all people, made her nervous.

But, halfway through episode one they seemed to relax, Victoria pretended not to notice Max’s fingers twitching against her own. She decided to make things less awkward, and took her hand, marveling in the way that their fingers seemed to fit perfectly. At some point, Max was laying comfortably against her side, as Victoria’s arm wrapped around her shoulders.

It was too much to handle. Victoria felt her throat constrict, and she pressed a kiss to her hair, waiting for Max’s reaction. She felt her tense, for a spit second, before she lifted her head from her chest. Not even a second later, Max’s arms were around her shoulders again, and they were kissing. It started rushed, their teeth seemed to knock together at some point through the tension, until they relaxed into each other. Victoria’s arms wrapped around Max’s waist, and she laid back on the couch to give themselves some leg room.

Maybe it wasn’t the best birthday present ever, but it was one Victoria hoped Max would remember for a long time.


End file.
